Katie Griswold: ‘I love scoring [104] goals’

By Jon Moffett

The senior forward and Mooney are ready for the regional tournament.

YOUNGSTOWN — When Kaitlyn Griswold was 4-years old she began kicking a soccer ball.

Now, over a dozen years and one hundred goals later, Griswold is ready for what she hopes is her greatest athletic achievement.

“I hope we go to state and win it all,” Griswold said.

Griswold, 17, and the Cardinals (14-4-1) advanced to the regional semifinals with a 9-0 victory over Champion in the Division II district championship Thursday. The win marked the fourth consecutive district title for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals have been knocked out of the tournament in the regional semifinals the past three seasons and Griswold said this year’s team is determined to advance.

“We have 11 seniors on this team,” Griswold said, “so this year we have a lot of drive because this is it for us. All of us seniors have been waiting for this and we have no more chances, so I think everybody wants it pretty bad.”

In the shutout victory over Champion, Griswold had four goals. What’s more impressive is the four goals added to an already astonishing career total.

Griswold has scored 104 goals during her time at Mooney, and has enjoyed every one of them.

“I love scoring goals,” Griswold said. “It’s exciting for me.”

The forward added she couldn’t have had such a successful high school career without the help of her teammates.

“You work as a team and you have to have a bunch of people who work together, from the goalie to everyone up top,” she said.

She may be getting looks from her teammates on the field, but Griswold has also received attention off the field.

Griswold’s soccer skills, as well as her 3.94 GPA, enticed Butler University to offer her a five-year scholarship and she will attend the school next fall. She plans to play soccer for the Bulldogs and study engineering, with a possible concentration in the electrical field.

Academic work is more important than sports, Griswold said, even though sometimes she doesn’t want it to be.

“It’s difficult to handle it all,” Griswold said. “We have practice around 5:30 and I work on my homework there. Sometimes I’m up late, but as long as you’re doing your work it’s worth it.”

The Cardinals and Griswold will travel to Ravenna Wednesday to play Chagrin Falls at 7 p.m.

Griswold hopes to add to her career goal total, but said she doesn’t mind if someone else gets the glory.

“We work together and no one worries about who does the scoring as long as it shows in the scoreboard that we won in the end.”

jmoffett@vindy.com